The ever growing use of social tools as an additional means of communication is goodness on one hand but can become a problem on the other when people are overwhelmed by the large amount of incoming communications to the extent that their productivity is diminished. The technology makes it so much easier to get in touch with peers and colleagues but at the same time it requires one to discipline herself, in order to manage her time and attention, lest it might hurt instead of improve the overall experience. Answering the phone, chat or email right then and there does improve communication. However, a prompt response can become a distraction too. Some, set aside time to answer emails others advise their colleagues that they are in meetings, to fend off uncalled for interruptions.
One way to attract attention in the email arena is to ask for a read/return receipt to advise the recipient of the importance of the email. However, the read/return receipt mechanism has the potential to be abused or misused.